Stuck in the Middle

Posted on 10 Oct 2021 @ 8:18am by Lieutenant Theodore Winslow & A'Koja Dea - Private Investigator

Mission: M2 - Sanctuary
Location: Environmental Deck, forest walk
Timeline: MD04 1400 following Making Camp
1604 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure

A'Koa Dea, the Private Eye he'd met with before for translation services, flagged him down with a punctuated wave when she spied him across one of the fields. It was something of a marvel to think of the sheer architecture of a place large enough to contain what felt convincingly like an open air park. The feeling was emphasized by the time it took the two persons to cross the field and grow perceptibly in size as the distance reduced between them.

"Hello, Mister Winslow," she greeted. "Sorry to interrupt your morning. I asked specifically that you come instead of a team. I felt that this was something of a delicate matter and it would be easier if you came first thing rather than untangling unintended misunderstandings with the standard protocol after the fact." A'Koja was a retired Starfleet captain and was more than a little familiar with the said protocol. She was just as familiar with skirting it.

The man had been barely awake when the message had come through that he had left his coffee behind so was left there looking tired with nothing to drink. "Good morning Ms Dea. What is this is all about?" He wondered wishing he had shades or something as well. Was this going to be a morning of regret?

"You didn't bring soccer balls. I told the dispatcher we would need soccer balls. That's phone tag for you. They all ways leave out the important details."

The man looked at his empty hands and frowned. "No. I can go get..." He started to offer.

"Nevermind, follow me. You kind of have to see it to understand."

The man nodded. "Okay then." He said following her lead. The walk was silent for the most part apart from small talk about what they had been up to but nothing of consequence or reason. "So what is it you want to show me?" He finally ventured.

"It's right up ahead." Something like a dog, only with six legs and a stump of a tail huffed and puffed and sprinted between them, as if leading the way as it honed in on it's family. In the trees beside the path, there were people with children and elders, sitting in a circle around travel cooking gear and slurping noodles. As far as the eye could see into the trees were improvised camps, hammocks, sleeping mats, buckets and crates for chairs, rolls of possessions, and here and there between the hundreds of people were farm animals and pets from far away worlds. Something whinnied. something else honked. "Welcome to camp."

Theo stopped dead as he took in what was in front of him. "What... when... When did this happen?" He muttered the first thought coming into his head was he was pretty sure he was going to get yelled at for this being security issues.

"Near as I can tell, they all arrived with the USS Jupiter. They're refugees from at least six different planets in Romulan space, and they declined assigned guest quarters. They don't want to be divided. Several of them are afraid quartering will be locked down on them, as they were held prisoner in hotels during part of their journey. They planned to settle on Obsidian, but something was declined." It was as much as she was able to gather talking with a few of them briefly.

The man scrubbed his face trying to work out what to do for the best. They could not stay there at all, it was going to become a hazard soon if it got any bigger. “This… is not what I expected at all this morning.” He sighed. “Anyone else aware?” He wondered.

A'Koja shrugged. "I'm not sure. But if you give me access to the station's security reporting logs I can find out." She grinned, knowing that was far out of protocol-land , but being unable to resist making the suggestion. A private investigator had to look for every edge she could get after all.

Theodore shot her a look for a second before smiling despite the situation he was facing. More people should be aware, there were patrols through the environmental deck hourly but whether they were security or marine it did not matter a situation like the one he was facing did not happen in an hour. “I am sure you could Ms Dea.” He responded. He thought through his options quickly using first contact situations for this. “Is there a leader?”

“Let’s see if there’s any claiming to be.” Walking up to one of the refugees, A’Koja touched a man on the shoulder and said something in her recently worked out dialogue, he started pointing and calling out and a chain of others put up a call, until a portly elder presented himself, settling a taped over set of glasses on his bulbous nose. He started speaking and A’koja used a tricorder to adjust the UT with her most recent interpretive work.

“—to this sanctuary, a forest in the stars, we are so grateful.” He bowed his head. “Always, the stars provide, as to the ancestors before us.”

Theo narrowed his eyes listening to the man carefully as he spoke making sure he was listening and understanding the translation correctly. “But you could have had rooms? Showers? Restrooms?” He wondered, hoping his confusion came across as that and not aggressive.

The man looked sullen “Some have been led into facilities they were never released from. This camp suits us.”

“My name is Theodore. I am the chief of security on this base.” Theo explained as some of the children recognised him in the distance calling his name. He raised his hand to acknowledge them before returning his attention to the man. “And you are?”

“Chief Theodore.” He repeated carefully with a nod of respect. The familiar nature between the Chief and the child seemed to please him as he observed. He folded his hands peacefully. “I am Grembalik Nathor. I am a Great Grandfather. It is my greatest honor. I have lost other jobs and titles, but none as worthy of keeping as my paternal honor. As long as my family is together and well, I have accomplished all that is worth accomplishing.”

“My surname is Winslow but the children call me Theodore as it’s easier.” Theo explained quickly. “My people call me Lieutenant Winslow. The title family gives to you is the only one worth it is so true.” Theodore said feeling sudden nostalgia for the future he had thought he would have had by then with his family title of husband or father but he shoved it back down to focus. “Mister Nathor… I understand that you have made camp here but I have concerns for the facilities that you have.”

Nathor laughed. “We agree. It was our hope to move to the planet below, Obsidian, third world of Loki. We sent preliminary requests and the UFP sent those to Kalara. But on our arrival, our settlement plans were denied by the Kalaran high council. We have no homes to return to. Many have been journeying between worlds for years. And now,” Nathor sighed with the sense of another huge setback. “The home we hoped for beside the Oasis of Kentar has been revoked.”

It made sense now that he was told fully about the situations that had led to them being camped out on the environmental deck. “Was there a reason given?” The man asked, hoping he could figure out a route forward before he told the Captain of the newest development.

“No. It just returned to us revoked. The Kalaran council hasn’t answered our appeals.”

“If you show us the paperwork,” A’Koja said gently, “it will probably go a long way towards helping us understand.”

“Of course.” Nathor disappeared back into the camp momentarily and returned with a knapsack from which he produced a padd. “If you would, just make a copy. I need this back.”

A’Koja accepted the padd with the document string opened on it and put her own small reader device beside it to transfer the data, then returned it to him with a word of thanks. She and Nathor shared a polite bow of the head and Nathor took his leave.

"I've transferred the copy to your office." A'Koja said as she closed up her reader, then looked to Winslow with a temperate smile. "I've been a refugee. It's not easy but people make the best of horrible situations. I know you'll help these ones make their way."

The man nodded. He has the intense feeling of being stuck between a rock and hard place. “I can only try.” He admitted rubbing the back of his neck not sure what else he would be able to do.

"I'm afraid I need to go follow up on a client case. But let me know how this all pans out."

The security officer nodded as he he indicated the path they had come along. He would need to make sure that security was increased to keep the refugees safe as well as stopping any trouble from them. He did not even feel the need to speak as they walked, it was a comfortable silence which was a relief when he was inside his own head.

A'Koja parted ways with Winslow on the walking path and diminished in the distance.

Theo walked for a long time thinking on the route he was going to take to protect the peace before he squared his shoulders. There was no time like the present to talk to the Captain.